Into Darkness
by DivineDarkEvil
Summary: Based off an idea I came up with involving the origins of Dark Link. He is the result of Link's soul having been split in two. The pieces combine and hell breaks loose as Link undergoes a transformation into a monster.
1. Chapter 1

**Forward Warning:**

**This is a Horror Legend of Zelda story! Don't like horror then don't read it! Things are only going to get worse as the story goes on. This is just the first chapter after all.**

**You have all been warned.**

**Chapter 1**

_It is often said that endings and beginnings are related. I was once told there is no such thing as a true ending, only new beginnings. There is no such thing as death, only another step one must take in their existence. If this is true, then what trials await? What battles need to be fought? Should this be the task set to me by the Goddesses or..._ thoughts immediately stopped no sooner had they come to wander upon the topic of the Goddesses.

The Goddesses, they had become a sore subject matter for the Hylian. Subconsciously his hands curled into fists, anger beginning to mount from within. IF it wasn't for them, he'd never be in this situation nor his previous one if it wasn't for them! Did they enjoy toying around with the lives of mortals like this? Snort issues forth from the male, he couldn't afford to waste energy on something like this, not now anyways. Still, he couldn't help but be burned by the deities' actions! What was he to them? Some sort of play thing which invoked a limited fascination before he was tossed aside for having bored them? _It's your destiny...it's your job Link. You are the chosen wielder of the Triforce of Courage... _he sarcastically thought to himself, mentally imitating what he thought the voices of the deities might sound like.

**Yeah, it was my destiny to clean up THEIR mess**. Link spoke aloud, disdain lacing the undertones of his voice. Not even so much as a simple thank you. It's not like he was expecting them to actually appear before his eyes and offer congratulations. No. But not even one of them could have boosted for a simple telepathic thank you or good job? Link was for sure certain they could have done that at least. They were deities after all, the ability to speak in another's mind had to be on their list of tricks. No, to them he merely did what was expected of him and therefore it did not warrant anything on the Goddesses' half.

To anyone else, the hylian sounded like a spoiled child, but no one else had endured the past year of _hell_ he'd gone through either! It wasn't as if Link was saying he only took on the task of saving both Hyrule and its princess now queen, Zelda in return for a reward. He would have done it regardless even if he never held the power of the Triforce. This was his home after all and he would soon be dead than see it destroyed by the hands of someone like Ganondorf!

Albeit, upon being told this was his destiny, what he had been practically born to do, well; who could honestly blame him for thinking matters would have turned out a little differently? So far, not even the townsfolk were showing him a shred of respect. Then again most of them had no clue about the twilight as its effects on normal people practically froze their souls in time. It was as if nothing had ever happened to them. If only they knew exactly how close they'd been to a certain brutal demise under Ganondorf's rule should the Gerudo King have succeeded! Better yet, to have seen the utter shock and befuddlement upon hearing it was Link who'd saved their hides! Link, the farm hand from no where.

Those days were long since past by a year if not longer. Thoughts of home seemed so faint to the hylian now. He could barely recall the names of the villagers, let alone the name of the ranch he'd spent his childhood and most of his teen years working at. This wasn't much of a surprise given what he'd gone through. It wasn't unheard of for battle hardened soldiers of war to remain fixated in the realm of combat, unable to re-adjust to civilian life. A slight shudder rippled down Link's spine at this. Truth be told he'd pondered off and on as to what his life would be like once the twilight had been removed from Hyrule and all was set right, provided he lived. Would he be able to simply go back to his old life as though nothing had ever happened?

He had the answer to the question and it was a definite NO. Being on the go for so long, fighting the elements and monsters alike, struggling to survive, living day by day never knowing if he would see the sun rise again...it was heavy. Knowing what he did now, Link was certain he could never fully return to his previous way of life. He knew he would always be looking over his shoulder, endlessly searching the shadows and confines of darkness, scanning the horizon for signs of impending threat. His senses had become fine tuned, almost one with his environment. Living like this, on his own in the wilderness, it was tempting to stay. No one around to bother him, to judge him; he would be free to take care of matters at his own pace without someone else breathing down his neck. To retain this freedom...

Ragged sigh escaped from the estranged male, vibrant cobalt blue eyes lifted heavenwards, set to gaze upon a never ending forest. Gentle breeze sifted through the golden hair of the male, dancing across his pale skin as though it were the delicate fingertips of one he loved, left behind during battle. Tongue gingerly prodded at the tips of his top set of canine teeth as the male became lost in thought once again. Having only arrived here a few days ago, the young hylian had not yet made contact with any of the inhabitants of this strange area.

He did not exactly have the right to call this new area he'd ended up in strange, after all it, for the most part, resembled his homeland. Still, he could not shake this eerie feeling of detachment, as though he were in a dream, seeing things through a hazy fog. A slight shake of the cranium was required in order to remove the troublesome thoughts from the front of his mind. Unnatural feelings or not, the point remained he was still an unknown and more than likely, an unwelcome tourist into a land which could very well prove ten more times dangerous than the place he dared to call home.

Eyes cast about, desperately searching for a route hidden within the numerous sea of trees that might be lucky enough to lead him to civilization. If these inhabitants were in the least bit like those in which he grew up with, they should accept him despite what was probably a strange appearance given what exactly he was. Currently reclined upon his hindquarters, the male leaned forward, stretching out in a rather dog like fashion. Giving himself a hearty shake, the unknown male quickly stood up, placing his weight upon two legs instead of four.

iSeems as though I still retained a bit of animalistic habits./i Nearly three months ago, upon Ganon's defeat by a combination of the Master Sword and the fangs and claws of his wolf form, Link was stripped of his ability to shape shift. The original shift had been triggered over a year ago upon the arrival of the Shadows within Hyrule. When he came into contact with the evil energy, the Triforce of Courage awoke within the hylian, transforming him into a wolf so at to be destroyed by the taint. At first there was no controlling the transformations, his body would automatically morph when the Triforce sensed he was too near the taint.

Thanks to Midna and the unintentional gift of the Shadow Crystal from Zant, Link was able to shift between his beast and hylian forms at will. With the realm of Twilight back to its original state, the shadows destroyed and Ganon sealed away, Midna left for her homeland, taking with her the Shadow Crystal and Link's ability to transform. At first the hylian bulked at the thought of taking an animal form. It didn't take him long to change his mind. What he wouldn't give for that ability now! He had grown so use to the shift it felt alien to remain in his hylian form as long as he had. Being uncomfortable in one's own body, that was never good.

As if loosing the ability to shift wasn't bad enough, Link awoke one day to find the normally glowing Triforce on the back of his left hand gone and his body feeling like it was made of iron! Little had Link realized just how heavily he relied upon the strength granted to him by the Triforce. How easily he became exhausted, how frail his body had become! Where he could once withstand multiple punishing blows, Link nearly had his lights knocked out by the force of something he once considered to be light!

Anger and frustration only mounted upon this discovery. It was part of the reason Link refused to return home. His goal was to train, endure the hardships of wilderness living in order to boost his abilities back to what they once were. He was ultimately sick and tired of being the one who was seen as weak, worthless, helpless and a burden upon others! He didn't give a rat's ass about being under estimated, this often played in his favor as he was normally capable of taking enemies by surprise with both skill and speed. He might have lost his speed but certainly not his skill! All the same, Link was hell bent on not being seen as someone to be handled with caution. Even more so, he was not going to become the prey of some wild beast!

Prey...prey...prey...the thought did not sit well with Link at all. He was no one's prey be it monster, animal, or person. The way Ganon had gazed upon him...the glint in those eyes, they had said he was weak, one who could easily be over powered, one of no threat or warrant of concern. Never again would he allow himself to be looked upon like that. The mere thought of it triggered his anger to spike once again. Oh how he remembered the expression Ganon wore all too well, his laughter and mocking seeded deep into Link's memory.

Hand tightened about the hilt of his sword, the rage he felt then, what he would've longed to have done in wiping that infuriating expression off the Gerudo's ugly face! Never before could he recall feeling such rage, the overwhelming urge to have charged head long, sinking his hand deep into the abdomen, ripping through flesh as he tore out the foul innards, strangling Ganon with his own intestines! The murderous thought caused a slight grin to curl upon the corners of the hylian's lips. Upon realizing this Link shook his head once more. This wasn't like him at all! Such thoughts had never brought appeal to him before!

Grunting as he resettled the shield upon his back, Link set off again. Light was fading; he needed to find cover and quickly, who knew what creatures dwelled within this forest? Eyes had no problem with such low levels of light, hearing finely tuned to listen for the approach of anything or anyone. Head inclined ever so slightly, the male sniffing at the air. Well, at least he seemed to have kept the boost to his senses granted from his wolf transformations. No telling how long this would continue to last though. Staying on the ground would leave him vulnerable all the way around, climbing into a tree seemed like a better course of action then again there was no telling what might be up there either. And judging by the landscape a cave was very unlikely. Then again, he'd always avoided caves ever since he had the misfortune of taking up residence in the home of a rather angry monster.

Damned if he did and damned if he didn't. Time to pick the poison. Ground it was, at least he could make a fire there, might help to keep him safe. Boots trudged more heavily than he would have liked upon the forest floor, why did his body have to be so haphazard? Snorting once more, keen eyes detected a change in the light pattern through the trees. A clearing was up ahead. Now urging his walk into a jog, the male came to the tree line, intently scanning the area. Good, the grass was only ankle high, nothing large could hide in it, shrubs were nearly non-existent, less for animals to stalk him from. Cautiously Link stepped into the clearing, dropping upon all fours, creeping along, his underside brushing slightly against the grass. This was something he would never stop doing as it proved to be an invaluable maneuver for him both in wolf form and hylian.

Hearing picked up the sound of running water. Daring to poke his head up just a bit he spied a small stream moving through the center of the clearing. Still creeping forward Link came to the water's edge. Rippled reflection stared back at him, sunken and sullen eyes nearly devoid of all life stood out against his paled and dirty skin. How long had it been since he last was able to cleanse himself? The male couldn't even remember. Stooping, he reached forward, dipping his cupped hands into the cool water before bringing it to his lips. Link drank heavily, a little on the dehydrated side, the crisp, clear water proving rather refreshing. He gave pause long enough to gasp for breath having been downing water non stop for the past couple minutes.

Fire, fire, he needed to build one before the sun set completely. Judging by the dampness of the earth around him, this stream flooded about 4 feet up the small bank from where he currently was. Even though the skies were clear, there was no telling when a freak storm might pass through. Last thing he could afford was to be swept up in a massive torrent of raging water, being dragged downstream to who knows where! The opposing bank was steeper than this one, making it a favorable place to rest; he'd be protected from sudden rising water over there. Hands were placed against the ground once again, body coiling up. Kicking off hard, arms outstretched in front of him, Link sprang in a rather frog like manner across the stream. Fingers found their holding as they instantly snatched hold of the thick grasses lining the bank. Heaving to, the male eased himself up over the edge, plopping down in the cool grass.

Briefly pausing to remove the unwelcome dirt from his hands, Link strode forward using his feet to gently prod the ground, making sure it wasn't going to suddenly give way under his weight or an unseen whole suddenly swallowing him up. If he had a rubee for every time he'd fallen into some ditch or tunnel in the past year, well, he'd be a fairly rich man. Ears dropped, that thought didn't help much. Now he was only succeeding in making himself sound like some clumsy oof! Alright, so maybe his senses weren't so top of the notch when he first started out on his mission but he learned, he trained! Gritting his teeth, Link finally chose a spot upon the ground. Drawing forth his sword, he began to slice away at the grass, it being taller than the opposing bank.

**This thing is worthless...** sword fell from his grasp, Link clearly agitated. Snatching around his back he furious grabbed hold of his shield, wincing in pain as he drew is arm back around. Great, he just over extended the muscles! He really was a pathetic mess wasn't he? With the shield held in both hands, he dug the large side edge of it into the earth, pulling back. The reason for this madness? Link was attempting to dig a fire pit in order to avoid burning down the damn forest. **That's tempting...**no sooner has the words been uttered did the hylian push those thoughts aside. Grumbling once again to himself, Link set to work piling up stones into a circle, or something as close to a circle as he could make. Honestly, he didn't give a shit at this point.

With the pit dug and stones in place, snatching up his sword once more he began to hunt about for fallen branches in the tree line. Cobalt gaze shot a rather nasty glance in the direction of his sword. Not only had he lost his ability to transform, the power of the Triforce, but also the Master Sword! Apparently there was no need for him to keep it and thus he was forced into returning it to the pedestal within the ruins of the fabled Temple of Time. Even if there wasn't an apparent need for it, that didn't mean the hylian wouldn't have liked to keep it for awhile! What if something happened and he did require the sword's power? Now he was stuck with this useless piece of scrap; he tried sharpening the edge with a wetting stone but stopped, afraid the ancient piece of metal might suddenly shatter into pieces.

What was going on here? It was as if the entire world had suddenly turned against him! Was it something he'd done? But that didn't make any sense, could he have possibly done to piss the Goddesses off so much they left him with nothing and in the middle of no where? If he didn't find a way out here soon he would surely perish! _I wasn't meant to survive..._ heart stopped dead, body froze up as the cruel realization struck him. Strength gave way; legs buckling as his body came crashing to the ground. With arms thrown out to either side, dull eyes remained transfixed upon the heavens above in all their fiery glory as the setting sun danced upon the horizon.

**Use me, abuse me, loose me...heh...I should have seen it sooner.** weak smile began to etch itself across the exhausted features of the male. Breath came in deep torrents, chest rising and falling in a rhythmic fashion. His body felt numb, yet tingly all over as if some type of charge was moving across his skin. Mind began to drift aloof, eyelids slowly closing as they only grew heavier and heavier. There was no point in fighting it now, not when he'd come to the truth. If only he could simply drift off into eternal slumber, yes, that sounded nice. He was so tired, so weary of fighting his muscles ached, feeling as though he suddenly weighed a ton.

**I have no other purpose now with Ganon gone, the Twilight realm healed and Zelda back on the Throne of Hyrule. I was supposed to meet my end at Ganon's hand, the two of us striking each other down. That's why they took it all from me. They figured that would be enough to kill me off, that I would never be able to survive without their help, their power, their permission to exist...**

Those last words were breathed with the most abhorrently hateful tone; escaping from him in a voice never once heard from the hylian. The once peaceful notion having begun to wash over his entire being was gone, replaced with only a writhing energy. To hell if he was going to lie down and die! No one, NO ONE, controlled his fate, dictated his life and no one decided when he would die! Sitting bolt upright, hands feverishly snatched up the load of twigs and branches he'd collected earlier. Hauling himself to his feet, adrenaline flooding his system, Link moved with a set purpose. He was going to live, he was going to survive, even if it meant fighting the ones responsible for his creation tooth and nail along the way! He wasn't some play thing to be cast aside; he was a living, breathing, sentient creature!

Throwing the wood into the pit he'd dug earlier, left hand out stretched as he cast Din's Fire, the wood suddenly bursting to life in flames. Sitting cross legged in front of the fire, Link drew his shield and pack next to him. With his sword lying upon the ground in front of him, he pulled the bag into his lap, now digging through it to see exactly what he had left. Several empty water skins, a few potions, another set of clothes, a few small rolls of cloth, a few empty bottles, the stone he used for sharpening his weapons, his hunting knife, some extra string for his bow, wood whittling knife...but no food. Pulling out the empty water skins he laid them out as a reminder to fill those from the stream. Hand grasped about the hilt of the hunting knife, pulling it out.

There was some fishing line tangled about the hilt he hadn't notice earlier. Holding the knife in one hand he tried to untangle the line but not to much avail. Growling to himself he set the knife between his teeth so as to use both hands to remove the fishing line. Finally managing to separate the two he hastily threw the line back into his bag, irritated. About the only thing he could do with the line now was hand fish, given the fact he had no pole. But unless he found a lake or pond, the line wasn't going to be catching him anything. Unless, he used it as a snare. Groping around in the bag again he pulled it out and began attentively untangling and de-knotting the line. With it finally rendered usable the hylian tied the loop snare at one end and with the rest coiled in the palm of his other hand he sped off into the trees.

Hastily glancing about, Link had to set the trap properly otherwise he'd catch nothing. With the hunting knife once again clenched between his teeth, he chose an ideal spot to set the trap. A bush baring fruit. Having no clue as to if it was poisonous or not there was no way he was touching it! Staking the line into the ground right under the edge of the bush, his trap was set, any animal with a foot small enough to fit into the loop would be caught the second it tried to move away! The line he had wasn't all that strong, the most he could hope to catch with this was a rabbit. With the trap set, Link hurried off, not wanting his scent to cover the area and scare off any potential meal.

Returning to his spot by the fire, all he could do now was wait. Waiting, it was something the hylian never took kindly to, but he had no choice. Crossing his arms, head bent and eyes closed, he focused on listening, making use of his race's uniquely sensitive ears. Only problem was, any sounds he might have picked up concerning an animal caught in his trap were being drowned out by the growls currently issuing forth from his own midsection. Doing his best to keep his concentration, Link drew his knees up to his chest, pressing his torso tight to his legs. It was a rather pathetic attempt to muffle the protesting snarls of hunger emanating from his empty gut.

Given his age, being 17, Link's body was still growing and maturing, and like all 17 year olds, he was not exempt from the near constant requirement of food. It had been awhile since he'd last gone without eating like this; even during his mission to quell Ganondorf and the Twilight, he either bought food to take with him when stopping into town or merely ate the meat of monsters he'd put down. The latter was an acquired taste but there was no arguing, food was food. But here, there were no towns and so far no signs of life other than insects and the occasional bird. Given the time of year, Link knew it was pointless to start climbing trees or hacking through bushes in hope of finding a nest or several full of eggs. As of now the hunger was annoying but he could put up with it for the time being, but for how much longer he wasn't sure.

Being as physically active as he was, always on the moving, fighting monsters and so on, his body was use to receiving high concentrations of calorie rich food, use to having a near constant supply of energy to keep it going. But now, he wasn't adapting too well that was for sure. The warrior lacked fat stores, his metabolic rate too high to allow for much of the substance to accumulate upon his body. He basically worked off anything he had put on in battle all the time. It would only be a matter of days before his body began breaking down his own muscle, consuming itself in order to survive. Well, Link got what he wanted, a real test of survival. Now was as good a time as any to prove himself worthy to exist. If he died out here, no one would ever know.

Fingers interlaced about the hilt of the dagger next to him. Removing the leather sheath, Link checked to make sure the blade's edge was sharp and ready to go. Waiting was one method of hunting, the prey coming to the predator. It was rather efficient as the predator expended very little energy in the process but the waiting period could take hours if not days. Link was not only too impatient for that; he knew he didn't have that amount of time! Looks like he was left with only one choice go looking for his dinner. **This wouldn't be nearly as difficult if I could still transform**! he said to himself. Stashing items back in his bag, Link began to remove some of his clothing. He couldn't afford to be weighed down or make noise which might alert his target. Pulling off his tunic he quickly undid the straps and buckles securing the chain mail to his body, yanking it off over his head. He also removed the white shirt he normally wore under the chain mail. Shivering slightly in the night air, Link pulled off his boots and socks.

One of the most important assets to any hunt was stealth; the boots were noisy and clunky. Without them Link would be able to feel the ground underfoot, helping to assure his agility and silence. He did leave his arm-guards on, needing something to offer any amount of protection against an angry beast. Sword and shield were left by the fire as he strapped the large hunting knife to his left thigh. Clad only in his pants the young hylian took to the forest. Using only a hunting knife was insane but with no arrows for his bow he didn't exactly have a choice. Tonight he would attempt to hunt as he had before, only this time, not in the form of a wolf. Link kept to the shadows, moving low to the ground, often times creeping along with some effort upon all fours.

Pointed ears twitched, moving every so often several degrees up and down as he did his best to triangulate the source of any sounds he heard. At least his ability to see in low light was still there. Fruitlessly he sniffed at the air, hoping against hope he could detect something. Link was being foolish, a hylian's sense of smell might have been a little better than a human's but it wasn't a sense they relied upon heavily. It wasn't for lack of trying as far as Link was concerned. He kept his movement through the dense forest fluid and silent, eyes searching for even the slightest movement. The sound of his own heart beating a tattoo against his ribcage was starting to become bothersome. Inhaling deeply through his nose and exhaling slowly through his mouth, Link refocused himself.

Something had been triggered in his mind, as if a switch had been flipped. No longer did he worry, no longer was he concerned. His body moved of its own accord, now weaving through the trees and underbrush with purpose, line of sight narrowed as it was subconsciously blocked from registering in the brain, tunnel vision taking over, his eyes trained on something. Forbidden shivers of delight swept down his spine, muscles tensing, senses spiking, ready for the real hunt! Link began to grow fidgety, unusual for him and a bit out of character to say the least. All higher reasoning began to shut down, reducing the hylian to a mere animal. And not just any animal but the most dangerous of them all! An animal who only knew life and death, kill or be killed, a beast who wished to feel its life with the death of another.

Pupils constricted, elongating in height while narrowing in width morphing into vertical slits. Cobalt blue that was the iris began to glow dully the light from behind his eyes fueled with a lust for blood building in anticipation of a fresh kill!

Link began to hyper salivate, jaws clamped firmly shut to prevent the saliva from dripping out of his maw. Disgusting but what could the hylian do? Instinct proved stronger than mind in this instant, oh, how he longed to plunge his canines up to the gums in the soft under throat of his prey! To watch the light in his helpless victim's eyes fade away, gasping for breath with his jaws ever tightening their cold, vice grip!

Movement came to a dead stop, body flat to the ground, barely fifteen feet from him sat a rabbit, its back to Link, completely oblivious to the danger it was in. Slowly, ever so slowly, left hand reached down, fingers curling about the hilt of his knife, drawing it out of the sheath. He slid it up along the side of his body, exercising caution to prevent any star light from glinting off the blade, giving him away. Such a delicate creature this rabbit was, so fragile as it sat upon its haunches, little front paws rubbing away at its face, grooming. How wonderful it would taste once the bothersome fur had been removed!

Crawling forth upon his stomach, one arm over the other, Link crept ever closer. Rabbits were fast sprinters, even in wolf form they had originally proved challenging upon his first several attempts to catch them. But he learned, he became wise to their tricks, the key to capturing a rabbit was to aim for the spine. Even a small amount of pressure applied while the creature twisted would shatter the delicate bone. This was its weakness, evolution having traded durability for speed. Even in his feral mindset, Link knew he had one shot at this, there was no way he could keep track of the rabbit once it took off into the woods, not in his current form anyway. If he could immobilize it, it was all his.

Hands steadied, muscles ready to spring, the hunting knife soared through the air, sharp edge succeeding in hitting its mark, sinking deeply into the flesh of the rabbit, effectively impaling it to the ground! Leaping to his feet in victory Link crossed the distance between himself and his quarry in only several strides. He watched as the creature writhed about in pain, squealing in eternal agony, its feet frantically flailing about, little claws scraping hopeless against the earth as it began flinging up bits of dust. Blood began to pool under the little animal's body as it continued to struggle, held fast to the ground by the blade. This meant nothing to the feral hylian, he felt neither remorse, pity, nor regret for what torment he was forcing this animal to endure.

The creature's struggle only served to further wet his appetite. Corners of his mouth twisted upwards, lips parting into a sinister sadistic grin as his tongue slid across his teeth, prodding at the tips of his canines, saliva beginning to run down from the edges of his mouth. Reaching down, Link took hold of the knife's hilt in one hand, the other grasping the rabbit by the scruff of its neck. With a tug, the knife came free from the ground, the rabbit still impaled through. Now dangling in the air from Link's hand, the creature screamed only louder as it threw its entire body about, desperate beyond all reason to escape the looming fate! The rabbit's flailing succeeded in throwing a thin line of blood across the hylian's face. Once more his tongue made itself present, licking away the traces of which it could reach.

Time to end this little game. With a mere flick of his wrist, Link snapped the dieing animal's spine in half, the body hanging limply from his grasp, cobalt eyes trained upon the bulging black ones of his prey, watching with an inhuman satisfaction as the essence of life left those eyes. Yanking the knife from the rabbit's corpse he brought the blade to his mouth, tongue gliding across the shiny flat side surface, gathering up the blood which stained it so. Having cleaned the knife in this abhorrent manner the hylian set the tip of the blade against the rabbit's back once more, slicing all the way from its head to its tail, he set to work stripping away the pelt.

If Link was in his right mind he would have taken time removing the fur and cleaning the rabbit, but in his current state he merely hacked away savagely, unable to remove the fur fast enough! Sinking his nails into the dangling hide he tore it away, revealing the shiny red, blood soaked muscle under neither. The rabbit wasn't much, appearing half its size without the fur. Sadistic smile upon his lips began to fade, this was a disappointing catch; but beggars couldn't be choosers. Without another thought or so much as a glance, Link sank his teeth deep into the rabbit's flank. The muscles were hot, flushed with adrenaline from the struggle moments ago, soft flesh giving way under the hylian's powerful bite. Jaws closed slowly, the male reveling in every moment of this forbidden act! Warm blood pooled in his mouth, trickling down the back of his throat, there were no words which could have described the predatory glory he was in!

Upon feeling his teeth strike each other, Link jerked his head sharply to the side, the action serving to tear off the chunk of flesh, pulling along the rest of the muscle up the back as it too was torn free from its place. He blinked, taken slightly by surprise as to the extra meat trailing forth from his jaws. It mattered not to him for that soon would be devoured. He didn't even bother chewing the section of muscle he currently had in his mouth, it was so tender so juicy, given how much he was salivating he knew it would go down easily. Like many predators before him, the male tilted his head back, jaws parting as he released the morbid prize into his throat, tongue drawing in the piece still dangling forth from his maw.

Eyes closed, sensation of the flesh gliding effortlessly down his esophagus sent chills through out his body. He could feel the muscles working, squeezing it along until finally it reached its destination, his stomach. If there was one thing the hylian had learned to master while spending the past year in the wilds, it was learning to control his gag reflex as he was forced to choke down some of the most disgusting things. Once mastering that he was even able to exercise control over the muscles in his chest and abdomen, allowing him the ability to eventually constrict a muscle group which served to pull open the tightest part of the esophagus in the chest cavity right before the opening of the stomach; allowing the hylian to swallow a larger amount of food at once while lowering the risk of it becoming caught and choking. One might fathom as to why he learned this in the first place, the answer was the same as before. With constantly being on the move, never knowing if he might end up some monster's dinner, Link couldn't afford to stop. He had to be able to consume his food quickly and while on the go, this was the solution he was given.

No sooner had he swallowed the first mouthful was he back for a second! This same sort of behavior continued for several minutes until the rabbit had been stripped bare of flesh. He'd even eaten the internal organs as they'd become caught up in the last several mouthfuls of meat! Seemingly disappointed if not depressed there was no more, Link began biting open the small bones, slurping out the nutrient rich marrow from within. Once these too were gone, a rather dejected expression etched itself across his blood stained features. Hungrily he licked away at the blood upon his hands, desperate for more! The rabbit had been small, only providing him with half the amount of meat he'd been hoping for. Still entranced in this feral mindset, Link returned the knife to the holster upon his left leg. The snare! Perhaps he'd caught something! Ears perked up and with a fresh wave of bloodlust washing over him, the sadistic smile returned as he hurried off to where the trap was set.

What luck! Even before seeing the trap, Link could hear the sounds of an animal struggling, little squeals of pain and fear echoing forth. Another rabbit, just what he needed! Grasping the frantic creature by the scruff of its neck he removed the noose from its leg, and just as he'd previously done, a quick flick of the wrist and the animal's life was over. In the same fashion as earlier, the estranged hylian feverishly hacked away the rabbit's skin before resorting to tearing it off all together. Once again he sank his lusting canines deep into the flesh, stripping it away one mouthful after the other. And within no time, all he was left with were bones. In turn, he bit each one open, sucking the marrow out before tossing them aside, when these too were gone, a sigh of contentment escaped from his blood stained lips.

Licking away the blood upon his hands and arms, Link made his way back to the stream, thirsty from his meal. This time he didn't even bother to cup the water into his hands but instead merely jerked his head down, drinking in the same fashion as an animal. With both hunger and thirst satisfied for the time being, the male made his way back to the fire side. Kicking several logs into the flames, Link reclined upon the ground, curling up next to fire, falling fast asleep in no time at all. In the same fashion as all predators before him, the male had eaten his fill and would now sleep his fill as the savage beast he truly was. Little did Link know, he'd just taken the first step into darkness. He drifted off into dreams while still in his feral mindset, who was to say what would occur upon his awakening as his normal consciousness regained control. Would he remember his actions from the night previous? Would he know what type of monster he was to become?

CHAPTER 1 END


	2. Chapter 2

**This is a horror oriented Legend of Zelda fic. Don't like it then please turn back now. **

**Blood/Violence/Gore/Language/Mild Nudity**

One last thing, anything written in_ italics_ is thoughts while anything in **bold** is spoken aloud.

Okay so I am going to have to cut this chapter shorter than what I would have liked thanks to actually hitting the size limit allowed for text deviations.

**Chapter 2**

Night slowly waned on, movement of the heavens passing through their motions as they had done for millions of years before and would continue for millions of years to come. Stars danced in the eternal void of space, their beautiful light only the remains of the massive bodies they once were, a mere after image, the ever fading shadow held in the foot hole left behind by the deceased wonder. A dieing light, the last breathe ever so slowly exhaled, lingering about as it hung in the atmosphere for what felt like an eternity but was only the fleetest moment on the edge.

The darkness of night was filled with wonders! So beautiful yet so misunderstood. Shadows cloaked the edges of objects thus making them harder to discern their true nature. Predators of all kinds used the cover of darkness to better aid an ambush set upon those most unsuspecting. Darkness contained what could not be seen obscuring the unknown from sight only to produce panic, paranoia, and fear. For those who dwelled in lands drenched by the scorching light of the sun, darkness was their mortal enemy. For one particular light dweller, darkness had become his home these many months past.

Struggling through blackened temples and hovels, confronted with it at every turn he made, he struggled violently against it in a futile attempt to slay the beasts hidden within. Yet, there were no beasts, not in this particular set of darkness anyway. It was fear leading to these impulsive actions, if he merely took the time to learn, to understand he would have no reason to fear the setting of the sun. Nature could be the best mentor at times as well as the worst; for the young Hylian currently nestled comfortably in front of the flickering flames it was a lesson well received. Link had no reason to fear the darkness; all it took was a little bit of open mindedness in order to triumph over this new realm.

Now Link could barely wait for the sun to set as it opened up a whole new world for him! In months past he spent his time moving amongst the shadows, using them as any creature seeking to avoid detection would. Not only to hide from those who might do him harm or alter his course, but as a source of cover from which to launch an unseen assault. Night had proven to aid Link once again in his journey as it rewarded him with a successful hunt nary an hour ago. This time he would not partake in the indulgences of night; the male far too exhausted to have even thought about it. No, he would take to the night another time.

Link twitched slightly in his sleep, muscles having grown tense and achy from remaining locked in the same position for the past hour. Subconsciously he stretched out, turning over onto his right side before curling back up. Strange, he seemed so peaceful when sleeping, if only the turmoil brewing within could be seen gathering like a storm. To gaze upon him one might have thought him no different than the average traveler having taken a side route through the forest. Nothing about his stood out to say otherwise, unless one counted the red stains of blood currently smeared across his features.

Dried blood lingered upon his skin, staining at the corners of his mouth as it trickled down his jaw line only to fade away upon his neck. With every movement he made, the blood coating cracked and flaked off his fair skin. Blood stains could be seen upon his hands, small clumps having taken to the surface of his nails as though it were polish. This blood was not his own, merely the remains left from his earlier slaughters. It was something not to raise alarm, not just yet, after all it was only two rabbits he'd done away with. It wasn't as if it was unheard of for mortals to occasionally have a break in their psyche and behave in the fashion of a wild animal.

Night continued to pass by, Link showing no signs of waking up any time soon. For the first time in over a year he was able to sleep soundly without worry as to what he might awaken to. Muscles finally relaxed as they settled into a comfortable enough position to remain in for the rest of the night. Hours crept by, the first rays of morning light beginning to peak above the horizon. Still Link did not stir from his slumber, remaining in the same position as earlier next to the fizzling embers of the fire, kept warm through the coolest part of the night. Given his position near the tree line in the clearing it would require another several hours before sunlight blanketed the entire area.

Link stirred, feeling the warmth of the sun upon his body, a rather wonderful sensation. A whimper of comfort escaped from him, the male not wanting to wake up just yet. He lay still for several more minutes, slight smile creeping about his lips as he took delight in the warmth of the sun. A guest of wind kicked up, blowing the ash from the fire into his face. Link sat bolt upright, sputtering and coughing as he ended up inhaling the ash. Brushing feverishly at his face he sneezed several times, right hand thrown out to grope upon the ground in search of one of his water skins. Failing to find one Link stumbled blindly to the stream, eyes shut tight for fear of the fine ash entering. Water splashed upon his face, Link rubbing with his hands, seeking to remove all traces of the offending ash.

Unbeknownst to him, his scrubbing quickly removed all traces of dried blood from his skin leaving one to ponder as to if the hylian remembered the events from earlier. Eyes cracked open, pupils constricting into tiny pinholes while his left hand attempted to block out the sun's light. Slowly his eyes adjusted to the light blinking a few times to clear up his field of vision. Well, he lasted through the night, that was a good sign at least. Standing up finally Link stretched out his cramped muscles throwing his arms up over his head, back arching slightly and legs straining as he stood on tip toe. Jaws parted wide in a yawn, teeth flashing in the morning light. With a final shake of his head, Link was finally awake.

Eyes moved cautiously about the clearing, searching for any signs of living creatures. Despite the apparent safety of the area Link knew he couldn't afford to linger here least he increase his chances of being found by someone or something unwelcoming. At once he began haphazardly shoving his remaining equipment into his bag. For a moment he hesitated in deciding whether to put his chain mail and shirt back on but decided against it, he really needed to get moving. Cramming those items into his bag as well he pulled on his boots before strapping his shield to his back upon the metal scabbard of his sword. Pausing only for a moment to refill the empty water skins and disperse any signs of his camp fire Link set off once again into the unknown.

With his hand poised to unsheathe his sword at any given moment Link continued through the dense forest with seemingly increased ease compared to the previous night. Body seemed to move effortlessly, easily slipping through thick brush while his boots left barely a print upon the ground. This was a much welcomed improvement! Perhaps all he needed was a good nights rest? It seemed to have done the trick. Scratching at a bothersome itch upon his torso, eyes glanced down long enough to check and see if something had bitten him. Ears twitched slightly with his line of sight traveling down his body.

Now that he thought about it, did he manage to catch something last night to eat? He must have seeing as his hunger wasn't as prominent. What was it he'd caught last night? Sucking on his tongue in thought the answer made itself apparent thanks to a lingering taste in his mouth. Rabbit then huh? Well, at least he knew. Giving a shrug Link chocked up his fuzzy memory to exhausting, thinking nothing more upon the matter. For the next several hours he made painfully grueling progress through the forest, stopping only ever so often to listen for any sound of anything tailing him. Energy from earlier was now starting to fade once more as the knawing pit in his stomach began to grow once more.

Grumbling to himself the hylian stopped momentarily at a bush in order to relieve himself before moving on. He seriously needed to stop drinking so much water. Still not trusting the area he was in, the terrain seemingly too much in an enemy's favor Link decided it was time for a bird's eye view of his situation. Picking out a nice tall tree Link dug his nails into the bark in quick succession his legs were brought up, feet linger only a moment upon the bark before giving a hearty push off. Right hand out stretched and fingers closed about the girth of a branch. Grabbing on with his left, Link hauled himself up onto the limb. Standing, eyes traveled up the tree trunk, automatically picking a path through the many branches to the top.

Springing once again he latched onto another branch, his rate of climb increasing rapidly as he leapt from one branch to another. If there was one thing he knew how to do it was move through trees! Hand over hand, enough momentum was gained for him to use only his legs, appearing to bounce off the branches as if they were made of rubber. Smile became emanate upon Link's features, sullen eyes lighting up for the briefest of moments, revealing in pure joy feeling the adrenaline rush coursing through his veins as he only continued to climb higher and higher. Laughter began to sound, tongue half lolling out to the side of his mouth in a rather animalistic fashion the hylian experience pure joy for the first time in months. He twisted in mid air, throwing his weight to one side, right, spinning himself about the trunk, right hand grasping firmly about a branch both his feet planted firmly against the side of the trunk, Link panting slightly as he hung off the tree.

Gentle breeze sifted through his dirty blonde mane, brushing gently against his cheek. Eyes shut momentarily a breath drawn in deeply, Link expanding his lungs to their fullest before exhaling quickly. So he'd made it to the top finally. Left hand shielding his eyes as best it could from the sun's harsh glare cobalt optics scanning the horizon for anything unusual. Almost instantly he spotted a rather large lake in the distance, sunlight glistening off the water's surface as though it were a mirror. Trees thinned out the closer they came to the lake, forming another clearing about it. About 200 yards off, the trees began to thicken again, swallowing up the earth in a massive sea of leaves. Link judged the lake to be at least a mile away if not a bit more, he should be able to make it if he hurried up in the next hour providing there were no interruptions.

Placing his feet carefully onto the branch directly below him Link began his decent swinging from branch to branch, his nimble body design proving an asset in this environment. Once again at ground level Link took off towards the lake his pace quickening from earlier. There wasn't too much undergrowth along the way saving him time seeing as he didn't have to slash his way through. The rocky and root ridden ground from previous slowly gave way to soft earth coated in a thick layer of leaves. Link slowed, not entirely trusting the stability of the ground, nor what the leaves might have been concealing from sight. Not wanting to take and chances, and quite frankly fed up with falling into holes, Link took to the trees once more. The magnificent hardwood giants were packed so tightly their branches jutting into one another's space it created the perfect express highway for the male! He was practically able to run from one branch to the next.

Wind howled in his ears, feet scrambling to keep balance while running arms flared out to either side of his body in a means to steady himself. Several times small branches smacked Link across the face, the tiny twigs scratching up his exposed torso whilst smashed through thickets of twisted branches. Rays of light began to grow, signaling he was drawing near to the lake. One final leap and Link was freed from the rather claustrophobic grip of the forest. Scaling down the trunk he landed heavily on his feet. Straightening himself up Link gave pause for a moment. This was as good a spot as any for an ambush. Reaching over his shoulder, drawing forth his blade Link approached the water's edge with an air of caution. Eyes never ceased their endless sweep for possible danger, ears finely tuned to the natural sounds of the forest, straining to detect anything out of the ordinary.

Nothing was here for the time being from what he could see; still it was best not to let his guard down just yet. Eyes averted from the heavens to the earth under toe, searching for tracks. Stooping down, running the palm of his right hand across the greenery Link quickly discovered the prints of several different animals. Hoof prints of deer peppered the soft ground, several distinguishing paw impressions of wolfos, cloven hooves of wild boar...this was certainly a hot spot for all kinds of animals. Keen eyes picked up on the trails left by small rodents through the lush grass, slide makes in the muddle of turtles and tortoises could be seen near the bank. So far there were no signs of any other humanoids such as himself. Striding to the water's edge Link gazed out over the surface before taking an interest in what lay underneath. This was a pristine body of water able to see clearly all the way to the bottom!

Lazy waves of underwater plants moved to and fro by the natural current of the water, clumping together, growing from rocky outcroppings upon the lake bed. Bending to one knee, left hand tested the surface of the water. So cool to the touch! Something flickered in the water, caught out of his peripheral vision. Dark shapes moved about, darting erratically about. Fish! Well, the male knew what he was going to have to eat later. Sliding the strap of his bag off his shoulder, Link removed the sword and shield from his back. The fish were tempting but his real desire was to cleanse himself having finally found a significant body of water in which to do so. He didn't even want to think how long it'd been since he last took a bath! Judging from how much his scalp itched coupled with the matting of his hair, his skin feeling as though it was attempting to crawl off his body, it had been awhile.

Link undid the straps of his arm guards, the padding on the underside encrusted with countless days' worth of sweat and dirt! Disgusting! Those would certainly require heavy scrubbing later. He yanked off his boots, grimacing at the putrid smell wafting out of them. Link didn't even want to know what might be growing inside the footwear! Tossing the appalling things aside the belt holding up his pants was unclasped the buttons upon the groin area following suit before the article of clothing dropped to rest about the hylian's ankles. Stepping out of them, Link snatched his pants off the ground, giving them a hearty shake as he held them at eye level to examine. Gross! A distinct yellowish stain had formed about the hem of the waist, effectively heavy where the cloth rested against his lower back. They reeked of sweat; he didn't even want to know how nasty the inside of them must have been.

Removing the belt from the loops upon the pants he sat it aside, tossing the clothing upon the grass along with his formerly white shirt now stained a yellowish brown from a combination of sweat, dirt, mud, and blood. Green tunic followed suit along with the extra set of clothes stashed inside his bag. Thumb and forefinger pinched at the hem to his underwear swiftly pulling them off his body. Clad in nothing but his own skin, Link stepped into the water, taking his time in wading out until he was up to his waist. Words could not explain how relieved he felt in earning this rare occasion to bath! Already he could feel layers of dirt and grim beginning to lift from his skin! Drawing in a breath, Link plunged himself under the water for several minutes before he was forced back up for air.

Hair was plastered to his skull, water coursing down his face. He shook his head, droplets flying everywhere. Rubbing at his eyes, Link glanced down at his own reflection staring back at him. He stood; transfixed by the sight of himself, the shape he was in. His face had become gaunt, cobalt eyes sunken with dark circles so thick it looked as if he was wearing make-up! Leanly muscled arms portrayed their time having spent wielding a weapon the strength capable of being exhorted them far beyond what one might have thought upon seeing them. Link's skeletal structure was naturally light in design allotting him a build made for speed and agility while placing strength and stamina at a close second.

Torso was firmly toned and defined with lean hardened muscle. Faint ridges of his spine could be seen under the skin, slight indentations settled between his ribs. He wasn't malnourished, his muscle structure was fine, he simply lacked body fat. Link was constantly active and on the move always fighting, coupled with his diet meant fat stores were incapable of being built up. There may have been small deposits thinly stretched through-out his muscles albeit it more than likely wouldn't have amounted to much more than between 2 and 5% of his entire body weight. Judging from his current appearance 2% was more like it.

Fingers settled upon his chest, trailing ever so lightly across a set of massive scars. These were not the remnants of a blade upon his flesh, nor were they the claws or teeth of any regular beast. Head tilted to the side as he cracked his neck. Hand moved up to his right shoulder, fingers settling into the deep gashes carved into his body. Even now the mere memory of the origin of these scars haunted him so.

Four massive talon marks racked across Link's entire body, beginning at his right shoulder, slicing deep into the muscle they were struck at a sharp diagonal, gored across his chest, down his abdomen only to end upon his left side. The talons had torn right through his chain mail as though it were nothing; like hot knives through butter! The creature responsible for this eternal mark was none other than Argorok, guardian dragon of the sky temple. Link should have known better than to charge headlong into a battle like that, he had been at a grave disadvantage against the monster! He was in Argorok's domain, and for his foolishness he nearly had paid the price with his life. Memory flashed back to the battle, the encounter seared into the hylian's memory, carved so deep the images as vivid as the day they occurred!

**[Flash Back]**

Argorok summoned a maelstrom to aid it during battle, foul beast playing dirty once Link had proven he was capable of causing injury. Damn it! If only he could get through the armor quicker! Lightning streaked across the blackened skies, thunder crashing, obscuring any sound of flapping leather wings. Wind howled fiercer than any gale Link had ever experienced before! Soaked through to the very bone, ever fiber in his body felt like it was on fire, screaming for him to stop! He couldn't, not now it would surely mean his ultimate demise! Clothes were plastered to his form as he stood atop one of the great pillars, Master Sword drawn at the ready, shield raised in defense.

Squinting through the storm, desperately searching for any signs of his quarry; Link ducked, flattening himself to the pillar stand nary a moment too soon as the massive tail of the creature whipped by! Scrambling to his feet, boots slipping and sliding upon the slick marble of the pillar a flash of light and Link barely raised his shield in time to avoid a direct blast from the dragon's scorching fire breathe! If only he could get to his bow! Gritting his teeth, Link dared to tear his eyes away from the sky, fixing his gaze upon the bow having fallen from his grasp as he avoided an attack from earlier.

Fangs screamed towards him, Link staring up into the gaping maw of the creature. He threw himself to the edge; diving off the pillar to the relative safety of the side, hand firmly clasped about the chain of the hook shot. Rain pounded down, stinging as it hit his face. Ice crystals had begun to form with a sudden drop in temperature. Link could feel the ice practically growing on his body as he hauled himself to the top of the pillar once again. Argorok struck, Link reacting, lashing out with the Master Sword. The blade found its way between the beast's hide and armor, effectively sending Argorok's helm flying over the edge! Shield arm was thrown out, barely blocking a swipe from the tail. Argorok snarled, giving a powerful back wing thrust, sending a massive gust of wind straight at the stumbling hylian!

Link was knocked clean off his feet, dull thud as intense pain shot through the back of his skull, the male hearing in clear distinction his own cranium smash into the ground! Vision grew hazy, now seeing double. Something warm trickled down the back of his neck, that couldn't have been good. Grinding his teeth in pure agony his muscles screaming in protest, the warrior struggled to stand. Crimson liquid began to trail down his face, seeping into his eyes, causing him to blink as he rubbed it away. No, he wasn't going down, not like this! So long a single finger could move he would not bow! Ears twitched, detecting Argorok's beating wings. Sword lashed out, clashing against the fangs of the monster, Link's body was thrown into the air, sword clattering to the ground. Flipping himself over as he skidded hard across the ground the hylian snatched up his weapon once more, searching the skies.

What little strength he had left was fading fast, he couldn't afford for this to go on any longer! Eyes wild, head turning back and forth, body spun about, chest heaving with every sharp intake of oxygen, pain wracking his form. Hands had grown numb from the freezing rain, blood streaking the side of his face. He knew his shield arm was broken, the only thing keeping the bones held into place were the metal rungs currently wrapped about the limb used to bare it. Thunder roared in the heavens, lighting cleaving the sky in two, he saw it! Charging once more, grappling claw of the hook shot found its mark upon the end of Argorok's tail.

Before Link could even move, before he could even take a single breath, before his eyes could even possibly register fast enough to transmit to his brain, it happened. Body went limp, his back arching whilst he sailed through the air, over shooting the pillar plummeting to his demise. Link crashed to the ground with such force he rebounded several feet into the air before collapsing in a crumbled heap upon the stone. Torrent of blood flowed freely from his shattered form, mixing with the rain it spread out, collecting into a massive pool under his body. Barely, he registered the thud transmitted through the ground as Argorok landed. Half lidded eyes turned down, peering over the edge of the collar bone only to be met with a sight more terrible than he'd ever seen!

Mind was a blur, replaying the scene over and over again finally comprehending what transpired in those brief few seconds Link hung on to the dragon's tail. In the mere moment it had taken for Link to ready his sword, Argorok spun around at the speed of greased lighting, massive talons slashed down, Link barely having to avoid the attack. Several inches closer and the beast would have succeeded in decapitating him! He could see it now, those monstrous talons raking down, piercing his flesh with ease, chain mail having done nothing to stop them; digging deep, drawn down from his shoulder across his entire torso. He was dieing, ribcage shattered, bone shards erected straight up from his still breathing corpse, blood and viscera coating the fractures. One of the ribs had punched a lung already he could feel his own life essence drowning him.

Eyes clenched shut, face screwed up in contortions of agony beyond all comprehension! Subconsciously he tried to move, contraction of the muscles in his abdomen ignited the fires of hell in his flesh, nerves spiraling out of control as they sparked. Inhuman scream tore forth from his lungs, scarlet life spewing into the air. Body spasmed, the abhorrent sound of Link's own abdominal walls slopping open reached his ears. Entrails spilled out upon the ground muscle once responsible for holding them tightly rendered to mere ribbons. His body had been propelled beyond shock, beyond reason; beyond all levels of pain capable for the brain of a mortal to process.

He felt cold, the wind surged about his exposed vitals, lingering for several moments as though it had a consciousness, fingering ever so tenderly, so lovingly at his innards; stroking them as if to say "it'll all be over soon." Pure shock kept the hylian from slipping away into eternal darkness, weak smile creasing his tired lips. Barely able to even lift his head fading vision cast down, settling upon the putrid sight of his own entrails, taking in every gruesome detail to be seared into memory, surely the last thing Link would ever bare witness to.

The skin had split sliced open by the tip of Argorok's insidious talons. The tear was not a clean one but jagged, ripped and ragged; claws having been thrust into Link's flesh possessed a dull serrated edge. Tissue hung in little and large clumps from the massive wounds; swaying with every breath he took, soaked with blood. Crimson life dripped forth, trailing down his chest as it saturated his pale form, soaking into the hem of his pants, trickling down over his sides, making its way down as it began to pool under his torso.

Wine red weeds between the stone hungrily drank up Link's spilt life; growing fat and plump. A sick, squishing sound was heard as Link shifted his weight. Blood squirted up from the ground, sloshing against his skin as if an angry sea, only to fall away back down into the depths of it's new home. A _'pit pit pit'_ sound could be heard with every movement as the blood was forced from its holdings, clinging to the underside of Link's body.

From beneath the right part of his collar bone down the goring traveled. It moved and snaked, slithering as if a great serpent. At the very top, the wound was thin, looking to be easily closed up, almost like a paper cut. Moving down, it grew wider, first by a few centimeters, a quarter of an inch...half an inch..an inch..two inches..three inches. At its center point, a full five inches of skin and muscle had been ripped out! It bayed open like an evil, hungry mouth..crying out, gnarled and twisted. The ripped skin appeared as if jagged, gnashing teeth, coated in blood, opening up to swallow its helpless prey. To consume and destroy. It was a horrid sight.

The corners of the insidious mouth like wounds were long, weaving their cruel tentacles down his chest, across his stomach over to his left side ..it narrowed just as it had grown...four inches..three..two..one...half...quarter..centimeter...sickle. Apart from the gnarled skin, the thick layer of muscle which should have been there, stretching across the ribcage to protect it and conceal his vital organs was all but gone. Massive chunks had been dislodged, torn ruthlessly from their home, strapped to the rib cage.

The once proudly built muscle was reduced to a sorry state of affairs. It dangled, swinging, stripped, wrapping and coiling feebly around the white bones of the rib cage. It moved back and forth, much like a hangman from a noose. Ribbons of ligaments and tendons previously having secured the tissue were stretched out, trailing as if intestines from the flesh or what was left of them draped from the now shattered bones of the rib cages. Bits of stone and dirt were caught in the mess, if only Link could reach up to gingerly picking pebbles from his mangled wounds, the foreign substances having become irritating to his rubbed raw flesh.

The hunks shook and twitched as his chest cavity expanded and contracted with every breath he took. Life essence pulsated from the wound, having grown thick in its consistency as his body clang desperately to existence. **N-n-not...like...this!** scarlet life splattered upon the ground along with the words Link choked out. Finger tips strained, stretching, reaching for the pouch secured to his belt. If...if he could just reach the red potion within it might be powerful enough to save him! Jaws were agape, drawing in panting breathes, lungs protesting the action, refusing to expand into the crushed torso. Tears rolled down from the corners of those cobalt blue eyes, pupils' mere pinpricks of unimaginable agony.

Link shifted, dropping his shoulder just enough to extend his reach into the pouch the action only served to snap the nearly exposed collarbone in two. Chest collapsed in on itself no longer being supported. Somehow someway, Link was still alive, heart spasming under the weight forced upon it, still pumping blood through his veins. It had to be a miracle despite his shattered and utterly disheveled state none of Link's main arteries had ruptured! Fingers laced about the bottle drawing it out from the security of the pouch. As if by shear fate the hylian landed in such a fashion the bottle had not smashed upon impact! Tendons shredded themselves as the muscles in his arm were forced to move, effectively bending the arm at the elbow, hand barely attached to the smashed wrist. Teeth ground together with such force it was a wonder as to if Link would snap his own jaw!

There was no way Link could force the liquid down his flayed esophagus! His only hope was to pour the potion over his gaping wounds in a last ditch effort to heal. Grip tightened about the fragile glass bottle until it shattered, spilling the life rendering essence over the fatal injuries. Electricity rocketed through Link's form. The hylian's body reacted immediately to this unorthodox method of healing potion administration; he seized hyper extended and torn muscles snapped taut. Link's fractured pelvis thrust skyward, eyes rolled back; earth splitting throated scream bellowed forth into the sky, rising above the torrent of thunder for all to be heard!

Wounds began to reverse themselves albeit not in the typical fashion resulted from ingesting the liquid. No, this was agonizing a thousand times worse than he ever expected! It was almost as if time was reversing itself in slow motion, undoing the damage. Bones shifted, snapping back into place fragments and splinters having become embedded into the soft tissues were drawn out fusing back to their origins. Chest expanded as the collarbone was yanked back into place by an unseen force the point of fracture knitting itself back together. Bone grew from bone to replace sections pieces too brittle for the previous version of reconstruction.

By now, Link had finally succumbed to his injuries, blacking out, brain shutting down as it was no longer capable of processing the overwhelming amount of signals firing from nerve endings all through-out his body. Perhaps it was a good thing Link blacked out seeing as the regeneration was proving even more gruesome than the original wounds themselves!

Slimy, slippery organs began to writher of their own accord slithering about as though alive, literally shaking themselves off in the rain, cleansing before retreating back to their proper positions and relative safety within the confines of Link's reforming abdomen. Ribs were secured into place, cartilage stringing from the end of the bone effectively welding itself back to the newly grown sternum. Chest expanding as it shifted back into its proper setting, the ribs giving themselves a final few twitching readjustments, rotating slightly in the groves from the vertebrae in the spine.

Torn muscle tissue re-grew through out Link's entire body, pumped with blood, energized and ready to go! Abdominal walls began to fold back over the exposed entrails and ribs, squirming about to find their previous placement before tendons and ligaments were replenished, the tissue seamlessly knitting back together. Skin began to creep up the exposed muscles, new veins and nerves could be seen rapidly threading themselves on top and into the muscles, connecting into the new and old endings as the skin had not yet managed to catch up.

Gasping for breath, choking violently Link sat bolt up right, finally regaining consciousness! He'd missed out on most of the regeneration but for the better. The grave talon marks still gaped open having not yet healed; blood was still being drawn forth, separated from the water upon the ground, drawn into his body through the gnashing wounds. Link watched with terrified eyes as his own blood slithered in long red torrents upon the ground, crawling up his body into the wounds. He could _feel_ it being forced back into the veins, each and every one of them feeling as if a white hot piece of iron were being shoved into the delicate tissue!

Without warning the scarlet life started morphing, changing color. The mass amount formerly gathered upon the floor began moving of its own according. It deepened, darkening, turning into a black abyssal puddle. Droplets began falling up at if all possible; leaping to and fro, similar to young frogs on a pond. The dark blood began to rise up, drifting up into the air as if by telekinesis. River of uprising liquid began to rotate, spinning slowly, gradually picking up speed twisting around Link's form. **Wha-what the fuck is this?**

Now it had formed into a tightly compact ball of blackness suspended above him letting off a strange, dull red glow. Every now and then, trickles and seeps of blood rose up from within the depths of the stones, the stains wiped away as they joined with the rest of their brethren in the liquid sphere. Blood splattered across his skin was pulled forth, adding to the girth of the sphere. The gaping holes upon Link's torso had ceased bleeding now, yet did not close.

One did not need to look closely in order to see what lie within those black holes. Vibrant, white bone, cracked and crumbling, slowly healing, shown brighter than the fires of the sun in the darkness. Blood draped, veins hung down, arteries trailing around inside. Blood could be seen pulsing through the veins, moving to and from the heart. Leather looking lungs shown forth, expanding and contracting, inflating and deflating with every breath short and long, shallow and deep. It moved, occasionally blocking the rest from view. Receded back, it become possible to view Link's insides once more.

There it was...pulsing, and contorting in all its glory, his core center, the heart; it sat, rooted to the inside of his chest, beating away. _Baboom..ba-boom..ba-boom.._ the heart beat, forcing blood through its chambers. The heart moved as if in slow motion, the beat irregular and lagging compared to normal. After all he WAS on the verge of death! How was this even possible? Link was bewildered, thunderstruck and utterly dumbfounded. How could he _still be alive_ after all this? Cranium jerked quickly, searching for the unseen source responsible for his current state. He knew damn well this wasn't Midna's doing! The little Imp had been rendered helpless from an earlier encounter. Link had been forced to leave her in the care of the Oocca, the strange residents of the Sky Temple.

The sound of talons scraping, clinking and clipping upon the stone's surface brought the hylian back to his senses. Argorok was still here, the battle was still on. The great dragon originally halted his advance, content to watch his prey squirm as it gave into the damage he'd caused; such fragile creatures they were! Lives so easily stripped away to nothingness. Link's struggle only served to further wet Argorok's bloodlust, corners of his maw turning upwards into a leering grin as he observed with baited breathe the impending demise of the mortal so foolish to challenge him! Eyes grew wide, drinking in the horror of his own creation. He could smell death in the air, wafting forth from the slowly chilling corpse of the hylian.

Head titled to the side, Argorok blinking upon witnessing the hylian draw out a bottle of red liquid, shattering the battle so the substance within soaked into his wounds. What was this magic? Even Argorok became entranced by the violent regeneration prospective, baring witness to death itself turning backwards! How-how could a mere mortal still be alive after sustaining such wounds? Argorok could only watch in utter amazement at the spectacle playing out before him. Even with bones re-grown and flesh re-sewn the healing stopped sort of closing the initial wounds themselves, Argorok fully capable of seeing clearly inside the hylian's body! A linger thought swept through the dragon's mind at this point. Did his own insides appear no different than those of the creature before him?

In Argorok's hesitation to deal the final blow, Link struck back. Overwhelming pain washed over his form once again as he felt the newly generated muscles stretch and contort themselves regeneration still not finished! Bloody trail followed in his wake, strange black orb created from his own blood following after its owner. Argorok roared in pain, Link having sank the Master Sword deep into the inside of the dragon's leg, hoping against hope he might puncture a main blood vessel causing the dragon to bleed out!

Flailing about, leaping to the side, Link was forced to dodge the enraged dragon's feet. He dove off to the left, curling tightly into a ball as he rolled, arms thrown out upon the start of the second revolution around, feet kicking out as they struck against the ground, flipping Link into an upright position. Muscles tore, shredding with the effort in obeying the commands sent to them by the brain; reform themselves too slowly for their owner's requirements. The pain! Body began to tremble uncontrollably as Link forced himself to his feet once again. Kicking off hard against the ground Link broke into a full on sprint, racing in an attempt to out flank Argorok as he wheeled about on the ground; seemingly haven forgotten his wings in his futile attempts to remove the sword currently embedded up to its hilt in his hide!

**Fuck!** He almost had it that time! Forced to dodge once again the hylian darted between the dragon's feet; left hand thrown out fingers interlacing about the hilt Argorok thrashed, kicking out. With Link's weight leveraged upon the opposite end of the sword the weapon came free of Argorok's flesh. Skidding across the ground upon all fours sword hilt clenched firmly in his left hand, the male spun to a halt. **Don't know...how much longer...I can...keep this up!** words escaped between heavy panting breathes. Muscles contorted, twisting upon in knots once again in his chest. The wounds were still open! Shudder ran through out his entire body as Link experienced the disgusting sensation of feeling his own perspiration dripping into the massive gashes only to splash and splatter across his still exposed organs!

Unbeknownst to the exhausted hylian a strange red aura began seeping from his very skin. Water running down into his eyes; blinking harshly focus was placed upon his left hand. This was most disturbing! What the hell was happening to him? In the momentary lapse in concentration Argorok struck slathering fangs screaming towards Link! **Shit!** It was too late to dodge! Arms thrown up defense the inevitable was about to happen! Eyes shut tight, head turned away, unable to bare witness first hand to his ultimate demise body tense; horrendous sound of bones crunching upon impact against something solid reached Link's keen ears. Eyes flickered opened, face flushed in rage towards his show of cowardness he was greeted by the most astonishing sight!

The black liquid trailing after him all this time sprang to life of its own accord, having formed itself into a massive wall to shield him! Argorok collided head on with the alien substance. How could a liquid take on the properties of a solid like this? Roaring in anguish Argorok stumbled backwards his life essence draining forth from his own jaws, trickling down his face, several scales upon his head having been sheered off upon impact with the liquid. Staring on in pure astonishment, Link didn't even notice the protective barrier collapsing once again back into liquid form. Substance began to glow bright red, catching the male's attention. It shot up into the heavens, twisting and turning undergoing metamorphosis, giving way to pure energy as it became a streak of red lighting!

Arching into the abyssal sky pulsating violently the essence came hurtling down to earth aimed directly at the hylian! Eyes felt as if they would bulge out of their sockets mind screaming at the muscles to move yet they would not obey. He was frozen, rooted to the spot, mind screaming, clawing wildly at the confines of his brain, why wouldn't! Why couldn't he move! Utter disbelief washed over Link as if a massive tidal wave. In all his manic mindset, somewhere he heard a faint command echoing from within the depths of his own thoughts. _Stay still._ He would surly be killed if he did! _DON'T. MOVE._ Tremors began to wrack his form_. I said to STAY STILL DAMN IT!_ He had to move NOW! _NO!_

Crimson lightning struck the hylian, enveloping him in its power utterly consuming him! Flesh burned with pain unlike any he ever felt before! Scream tore from his vocal cords, jaws wrenching apart face screwed up in an expression of pure agony. This was...! Link felt no more, where had the pain gone? Eyes cracked open a wave of energy surged through his entire body, what was this power? Gaze shot down the length of his torso, the wounds were healed albeit leaving a set of nasty scars but they were completely healed! Words could not possible describe the pure essence of energy coursing through his veins; he felt strong enough to tear a mountain from its base! Red aura pulsated around him, conforming to the shape of his body, hovering only mere inches from his skin. The pulsations of the strange energy fell into a mimic beat of his heart.

Grip tightened about the hilt of the master sword, the blade emitting its own stark white glow. Muscles coiled like springs releasing their tension with such force Link seed to fly across the ground rather than run! Feet barely made contact with the surface he moved with inhuman grace, never before had he moved this fast! Almost too easily dodging the enraged dragon's countless fire breathe and tail attacks, smirk began to form upon the hylian's thin lips. Now this was power! Avoiding a tail swipe by mere centimeters Link sprang upon the dragon's back. Racing along Argorok's spine, Link ground the master sword's edge deep into the dragon's flesh, weapon easily slicing through the armor plating into the soft tissue. Blood flowed in waves, coursing down the monster's back Link sprinting at top speed dragging the blade, effectively ripping the beast wide open!

Howling in anguish Argorok writhed in agony, thrashing about, leaping, bucking, rolling, even slamming against the marble pillars in any and all attempts to dislodge the hylian from his back! All attempts were futile, Link hanging on to the dragon with ease. Tearing the sword forth, holding it at the ready, Link sprang sword brandishing above his head point aimed straight down, he felt the shock reverberate through is own arms the blade splitting Argorok's cranium, sinking up to the hilt in the soft gray matter underneath. Blood sprayed out, bathing the hylian in waves of crimson, drenching him to the very bone in Argorok's life essence. Fire of hell faded from the beast's eyes, body swayed before collapsing into a pathetic crumpled heap upon the ground, nestled in a pool of its own blood. The great beast was dead.

**[End Flash Back]**

**Tch...** proud cranium gave a jerk, Link wrenching himself from free from his mind's aloof meanderings about his memories. This was no time to be distracted by reminiscing on battles long since past. Tearing his gaze away from the water's surface the male waded further into the lake. Drawing in a deep breath the hylian dove under the surface. Working both arms and legs equally he swam for the lake bottom around 40 feet below him. Link was capable of holding his breath for five minutes at a time, another ability he picked up in the wilds. It took some practice but he finally managed to extend his dive time, enabling him to explore river and lake beds without too much need for a water breathing potion. If he still possessed the Zora armor it would have been a different story albeit the fish wanted it back. Zora weren't the most pleasant creatures to be around and more than once they'd tested the breaking point of Link's seemingly endless patients.

Selfish and vain creatures they were, priding themselves superior to all other beings when it came to the grace of their music and speed in the water. More than once he'd bore witness to a Zora "holding over another's head" concerning the ability to breathe underwater. Irritation lead to a course of strange musing in the male's mind. On several occasions he found himself mulling the thought over as to what a Zora would taste like. Would it taste like any fish he'd previously sampled or would it have been something unlike anything he'd ever had the pleasure or even displeasure of allowing to slither down his throat? Link hadn't given much thought to the musings once smelling a Zora in his wolf form. They smelt utterly disgusting, something akin to a cross between rotting fish and steamed sea weed. As to why he never notice this before when in hylian form was beyond the male! Either his hylian senses were just that dull or else he hadn't gotten close enough to a Zora in hylian form to really get a full blast of the smell. Either way if there smell alone was enough to allude to their taste, he'd rather pick something out of the garbage!

Several swift pumps of his legs Link finally arrived at the lake bottom. Eyes wide he ran his hands through several clumps of underwater plants, searching the area out of mere curiosity. All to soon he was forced to resurface, gulping down several breaths of air before plunging back into the depths. Slowly he progressed along the lake bottom, finding all kinds of shellfish and bottom feeding fish. The more he examined the creature the more wary he became about eating any of them. Bright colors and patterns were often warning signs to would be predators of poison or worse. Many of the species he found were covered in heavily armored shells or covered in rather painful looking spikes and spines. Loosing all confidence not to mention appetite for fish Link decided to play it safe and set up a snare once more in the forest.

Out of the corner of his eye a glint caught his attention. Before he could investigate further the male was forced to the surface once again; swiftly diving back Link returned to a spot next to a set of large rocks upon the bottom, something was shining next to them. Reaching down he swept away layers of mud to reveal an all too familiar sight. It was a treasure chest! But, what was it doing down here? Nervously he glanced about; worried he might have stumbled into the domain of some unknown water beast. Warily his eyes traveled, drinking in every detail; from what he could see and if the behavior of the local fish was any indication, he felt it safe enough to assume there was no monster here, at least yet.

Attention was directed back to the chest, swimming over Link set to work scooping out handfuls of mud, racing to the surface when needed then diving back down. It took a good fifteen minutes but he was finally able to uncover the true size of the chest and was it large! There was no way he could drag this back to the surface with him; it was simply too heavy. Judging by the lock there was no way he could pick it open underwater. No he'd have to find another way.

With an idea sparking in his mind, Link tore back to the surface. Clamoring out of the water he feverishly began digging through the multiple pockets of his bag. Snatching a line of rope from it the male once again dove back into the water. Tying one end of the rope to the overly large handles of the chest he gave a few hearty tugs, wanting to make sure the handle wouldn't suddenly break with the strain he was about to place on it. Exiting the lake once again, coiling the rope about his forearms, Link gave an all mighty heave. Gritting his teeth he dug his heels into the ground, straining with the effort of pulling the chest free of the mud. Darting from side to side seeing as pulling straight back wasn't getting him anywhere Link decided he could try to dislodge the chest by yanking it side to side. He alternated between the side to side and straight back motions, slowly, agonizingly slowly the chest began to budge, mud starting to loosen its grip.

Sweat began to seep from his pores the sun scorching his naked form. Panting heavily Link gave one final jerk upon the rope the result landing him clean on his ass! The chest had finally come free; now to haul it up to the surface. Though his progress in this manner was faster than the previous it was still a grueling pace as the massive chest drug across the bottom. Hauling in the rope, Link positioned himself near the water's edge to make sure he wasn't going to end up getting the chest wedged between any rocks; good thing the water was so clear! Starting to struggle as his strength began fading, the chest broke the surface, and with several more tugs, it finally came to rest at the water's edge. Panting open mouth, Link fell to his knees, body exhausted from his endeavors!

Fingers ran through the mane of sopping wet dirty blonde hair plastered to his cranium, effectively sweeping back his unruly bangs. When was the last time Link even_ bothered_ to cut his hair? He couldn't remember and given the length it must have been some time ago. Gingerly he ran his fingers through it again this time focusing on where the strands finally stopped which happened to be just below his shoulders giving him enough to draw back into a ponytail with ease. Grunting he shook his head sending water flying everywhere the action only serving to further tangle his mess of a mane. Despite the length and shaggy appearance his hair wasn't all that bad with the lack of proper care. Unlike humans, hylians were known for producing higher levels of keratin the viable chemical mixture which made up the hair and nail follicles. With nearly six times the amount of keratin produced their hair and nails were extremely strong proving durable if not down right hard to damage.

That reminded him, eyes turned downwards gaze resting upon his hands. Link had really been neglecting his own personal care as of late, finger nails had grown to thick and long they resembled miniature claws! Smile briefly cracked his lips at the thought; claws would certainly prove much more useful over fragile nails! Rolling his shoulders as he cracked his neck from side to side hand once again found the strap of his bag drawing it to him. Fumbling about in the mess he dared call supplies Link searched for his set of lock picking tools. Over a year ago the hylian would have scoffed at the idea of toting around such instruments, now he didn't go anywhere without them! Nimble fingers closing about the leather case at the bottom of his bag he sat it on the grass, undoing the small tie allowing it to unroll before his eyes.

Taking up two picks Link set them inside the tiny keyhole. With one pick steady he used the other, slowly turning it back and forth attempting to undo the mess of tumblers within. The lock began to rotating showing signs of giving, SNAP! The pick broke. **Fucking hell!** Link snarled, pulling out the broken section of the pick as he reset to try again. Several broken picks later coupled with a maelstrom of swearing the lock submitted to the angered hylian before it with a gentle _click. _Dropping his tools Link threw the lid of the treasure chest open expecting to see riches beyond his wildest dreams! The sight which met that brilliant blue stare of his was something the male knew was something he would only experience once in his entire existence.

He couldn't possible believe his own eyes! Blinking several times just to check the optics were functioning properly the treasure within was still there upon re-examination. Had he died and gone to heaven? Sluggishly Link sat up, folding his legs under his body, hands resting upon the edges of the chest trembling at the sight before him. Why someone would have hidden this Link couldn't even begin to fathom! Left hand stretched out fingers locking about the hilt of a weapon. Drawing it from the massive chest Link swore he felt the object vibrating in his grasp! It was a sword unlike any he had ever seen before. Right hand took hold of the shiny black scabbard feeling the coolness against his skin it was safe to assume the sheath was crafted from some type of metal as well.

Sliding the blade forth Link was nearly blinded by the sheen given off from the blade! Ever so tenderly he lay the sheath upon the grass beside him his actions betraying the notion as if he was worried of causing damage to this astonishing weapon! Never before had he felt a blade to light in his palm before, not even the Master Sword had felt like this in his grasp! The blade itself measured three feet long, counting the extra 8 or 9 inches of the hilt it was longer than the master sword. Edge glistened vibrantly, reflecting the sunlight like a mirror. Quizzically Link set the tip of his pointer finger ever so slightly against the edge. His finger had barely even mad contact, if at all it seemed, did he witness thin red lines streaming about his flesh. This couldn't be! How could this sword be even sharper than the master sword? He hadn't even felt the presence of the blade upon his finger yet blood flowed freely.

Licking the droplets away Link examined his appendage. Where was the cut? Holding his finger mere inches from his face, squinting hard he could not locate the slice upon his skin. This was no ordinary blade it had cut through the very cells of his skin, slicing so cleanly the cells were able to be fused back together with a mere bit of pressure applied as though nothing had ever disturbed them in the first place. Not even the Sword of Evil's Bane was capable of such a feat! Turning the hilt over Link searched for any type of blacksmith signature near the hilt. Finding nothing he examined every inch of the lethal weapon still coming up empty handed. The blade itself was a mystery let alone who forged it. The body held a slight curve, more gradual than either a cutlass or scimitar yet it arched slightly down before coming back up.

Link knew enough about swords that by adding a curve to the metal it significantly increased the strength of the blade and its ability to hold up under extreme pressure. More than once he'd ended up with straight edge swords breaking under the amount of force exhorted upon them. Not only was did the metal possess this curve the blade flat side of the blade was skinny, not at all wide like that of a scimitar, it barely reached an inch in width across! The cutting edge was found only on the outward arch of the blade meaning it was a single sided blade unlike that of the double sided master sword. Hilt was also unusual in design being circular in design similar to a rapier yet accept without the curved dome like finger and hand guard structure blossoming off it. No this was designed merely to end the handle of the sword while offering minimal protection to the bearer's hand.

Pommel [handle] was wrapped in some of the softest yet firm padding covered by thousands of black overlapping threads creating a weave like diamond pattern. He squeezed the hilt slightly startled slightly upon feeling the hilt actually adjust to the curves of his own hand! This weapon had to be enchanted there was no other logical explanation. Link couldn't help but wonder exactly what type of metal the blade was forged from. The sheen was unnatural glimmering like liquid mercury. His fist thought was silver which was quickly dismissed seeing as silver tarnished. It wasn't quicksilver either, definitely not iron or steal or even a hybrid of the three. Fingernail scratched at the blade. No it wasn't a protective coating either. Wracking his brain fro answers it suddenly dawned upon the hylian he had come across a weapon of legend even greater than the Sword of Evil's Bane.

Only one thing could have possibly forged this blade, the heat of a dragon's fire capable of reaching the same temperature as the sun! It was the rarest of all metals in the world for it was not of this world but a gift from the unknown regions of the heavens above. This was adamantium the indestructible substance of myth. Eyes were wide in shock setting the blade upon the earth before him. Practically needing to slap himself to regain awareness Link reached back into the chest drawing out a second blade, the twin of the wonder before him. Dual swords...it was unheard of even in the myths! Trembling with mind numbing excitement the hylian gazed into the depths of the chest, jaw falling open at what lay within.

An incredible set of armor beseeched his sight! Shaking hands reached inside, sweaty palms clasping about the cuirass of the armor set, drawing out into full view. **This...this is dragon scale! **shock registered across Link's face as he proceeded to examine what he currently held in his hands. It was unexpectedly light weight, feeling no heavier than his normal attire. He gave several tugs upon the strange armor, it stretching with ease before snapping back into shape. Great plated scaled lined the front and back of the cuirass, mimicking the manner in which they would have been positioned upon a dragon. Smaller scales lined the sides and gaps between the larger scales the entire thing held together by the smooth yet incredibly durable dragon hide.

Small collar of scales offered protection to the wearer's neck while still allowing for full range of motion given how flexible dragon hide was under the scales. Soft leather padded the interior of the cuirass, preventing the scales from directly coming in contact with the wearer's skin. Several large plated scales made up the conforming shoulder armor as the hide fashioned wrist length sleeves. Several medium sized flat scales lined the side, front, and back of the upper arm while completely encasing the lower, leaving only the flexing point of the elbow exposed. Unfolding the cuirass Link noted it was fashioned in the same shape as his tunic, meaning it was long enough to cover his pelvis.

Large scales made up the lower half of the cuirass, positioned primarily upon the hips and overlapping the front of the groin, hide stretched between the scales. Holding it at arm's length the male figured it would fit him easily enough. Setting the cuirass down he began scrounging through the rest of the chest contents finding a set of dragon scale/hide gauntlets, boots, pants, belt, even a shield! The only thing missing was a helm. How was this possible? Dragon armor was near impossible to make! In everything he read about this fabled armor it could only be forged with the heat of another dragon's flames. That wasn't even the half of it, harvesting the scales and hide was another problem for only a specially enchanted blade or a blade made of adamantium was capable of carving through the flesh of a dragon!

Eyes wandered to rest upon the adamantium twin swords before him. Had these weapons, birthed by the flames of a dragon been used to slay their maker for his hide? Shaking the thought from his mind Link continued pulling contents from the chest. He found several packages of dragon scales and hide along with a few pieces of dragon bone at the bottom of the trunk with several old pieces of parchment written in ancient hylian. Grumbling to himself the most Link could make out was these were instructions on how to make dragon armor and adamantium weapons. Lining the sides of the chest were ore deposits of adamanitum. Hidden within compartments Link found a dagger made of dragon bone another made of adamantium. He came across a special set of gauntlets he could only think to call battle claws as they were crafted from the talons of an actual dragon.

Rolls of parchment written in the same language followed suit along with many other extremely rare items. Perhaps, perhaps he had been wrong all this time! Maybe this was the thanks the gift from the Goddesses he'd waited for all this time! To simply come across something such as this...it could have only been fate. Smile spread across Link's face, joy spreading through his entire body! This was wonderful beyond words! He continued to root around inside the chest, completely oblivious to his surroundings. That was until his keen hearing picked up the sound of a twig snapping in the tree line. Someone was here.

End Chapter 2


End file.
